Figuring It Out
by da-angel729
Summary: As much as I hate to agree with Black, I think he's right, Nymphadora." Sirius has something to say. Snape helps. Set during OotP.


**Author's Note:** Written for "The Beatles and the Bard Timeless Moon Ball" at **metamorficmoon** at LiveJournal with the following prompts: _"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." -Hamlet (act 3, scene 2, line 230), Grey_. I own nothing but the plot; it's all J.K. Rowling's. As always, feedback and con crit appreciated!

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**Figuring It Out**

She was sitting at the kitchen table attempting to make small talk with Snape, a cup of tea warming her cold hands, when Sirius entered. She'd just finished an unsuccessful tracking mission and was freezing. October had been a very cold month, and tonight had been no exception.

Pointedly ignoring the man across the table, Sirius sat down, snagging a biscuit from the plate Molly had left on the table before leaving for the Burrow.

"Any luck with your mission?"

"No," Tonks said after taking a sip. "The guy was long gone by the time I got there."

She'd been sent on the mission after Dumbledore had received intelligence a suspected Death Eater was going to the village of Holinbire to recruit. No one had been there, though, so either Dumbledore had been wrong or she hadn't been quick enough.

She suspected it was the latter.

"Lupin," Snape's voice interrupted the quiet that had descended over the kitchen. "So good of you to join us."

Tonks' head snapped up. There he was. Remus Lupin, wearing a worn grey jumper and black trousers, stood in the doorway. His face was haggard, drawn. Tonks suddenly remembered it had been only a day since the full moon.

"Snape, Sirius." His voice was hoarse, ragged, and he cleared his throat. "Nymphadora."

"Don't call me Nymphadora." The reply was automatic, but her frustration with the unsuccessful mission made it sharper than she'd intended.

Remus appeared not to notice, since he smiled at her, moved to the cupboard, and took out a glass and filled it with water from the tap. "But it's such a lovely name." He took a sip of his water and leaned against the counter.

Tonks flushed, aware of Sirius and Snape looking on with interest. "I don't like it, that's all. Just because Mum's family has weird names doesn't mean she had to inflict one on me."

Sirius sprayed tea all over the table—as she'd intended to distract from how Remus' compliment threw her off balance—as Remus turned a laugh into a cough. Even Snape appeared to be fighting a smile—which unnerved Tonks so much she nearly missed what Remus was saying.

"Well, I think it suits you better than Tonks, that's all." He was looking at his feet, turning the cup around in his hands.

"Thank you," she said, ignoring Sirius, who was looking back and forth between them, grinning. "I don't agree."

"You don't have to," he replied, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, staring at the floor. "Just accept the compliment."

Tonks frowned. Was he saying she didn't know how to accept a compliment? "I don't think disregarding my opinion of my own name should be considered a compliment."

She watched him stare at the floor, avoiding her gaze. Why wasn't he looking at her? She'd noticed—because she spent a lot of time looking at him—he didn't look at her. He would skim his eyes over her face while talking to her, but wouldn't _look_ at her.

Remus set the glass on the counter. "I've got some things to do in the library. I'll see everyone later."

Tonks followed his movement with her eyes as he walked out of the kitchen. She'd noticed he rarely stayed in one area for long, and wondered if he'd always been that way. She'd seen him laughing with Sirius, helping Molly cook, discussing strategy with Dumbledore, and a million other things with everyone who stopped by Grimmauld Place.

But he never did anything with her.

"She's got it bad," Sirius remarked.

"What? Got what?" Tonks asked.

"You _like_ Remus!"

"What? No!" Tonks protested. "He's too old for me, anyway. And he doesn't even like me!"

She realized she'd said the wrong thing when Sirius laughed. She hadn't denied liking Remus. But it was too late to do anything about it now. Once Sirius had an idea in his head, he wouldn't let it go.

"'He doesn't even like me' is not the same as I don't like him," Sirius pointed out.

"You're crazy, Sirius. And you have no idea what you're talking about."

"'The lady doth protest too much, methinks'" Sirius quoted, and Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Shakespeare, Sirius? Is that _honestly_ the best comeback you could think of?" Tonks bit out. Why couldn't she stop talking? The more she protested, the more Sirius would be convinced he was right. And as she didn't quite know what she felt for Remus, she didn't really want to talk about it. "Can't you just admit for once that you're completely wrong?"

"As much as I hate to agree with Black, I think he's right, Nymphadora."

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks turned to see Snape sipping from the drink in his hand. "You're agreeing with Sirius? The world as I knew it no longer exists!"

"Thank you, Snape. I knew that astounding intelligence of yours would come in handy one day."

Tonks rolled her eyes at Sirius' reply. Honestly, they were children. Snape said something back, and they continued their conversation. She stopped listening after Sirius told Snape his brain was full of Dungbombs.

If she was being honest with herself—which was something she'd always tried to do—she'd have to say Sirius maybe had a point. She was slightly attracted to Remus. But she wasn't sure she was ready to _date_, which is surely what Sirius thought. She wanted to be friends with him first. And while they certainly weren't rude to each other, she and Remus hadn't quite developed a friendship like she had with Sirius.

Was the reason they hadn't developed a friendship because she was attracted to him? Maybe it was attraction she felt. But maybe she just wanted friendship. Her life since she'd joined the Order wasn't much to speak of: work, Order missions, and more work. She didn't mind, as the Order was important to her, but sometimes, when she'd be physically exhausted and couldn't sleep, she wished she was better at making friends.

She _was_ attracted to Remus, Tonks realized as she stared at the kitchen door. Very attracted. And didn't know what to do about it. He barely even spoke to her! Obviously, he wasn't interested in her.

"Black, if you call me Sevvy one more time, I'm going to…"

"Sirius," Tonks interrupted, "I think you might be right."

Snape and Sirius turned to look at her, identical looks of shock on their faces.

"What?" Sirius said. "Are you sure?"

"There is just no accounting for taste," Snape said.

"You're insulting Remus in front of me, Snape? I can't believe it."

"Listen, Black, I don't think…"

Tonks rolled her eyes, pushed her chair back from the table, and left the kitchen. She figured they'd be arguing for hours yet—it seemed to be their favourite activity—and she had some thinking to do.

About her next step.

And how often Sirius was going to boast about being right.


End file.
